A possible new political party to be formed from so-called teal independents; Emotional scenes as Australians who were detained in Israel return home; And in Formula One, Kimi Antonelli continues his winning streak at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT:
- A possible new political party to be formed from so-called teal independents
- Emotional scenes as Australians who were detained in Israel return home
- Kimi Antonelli continues his winning streak at the Canadian Grand Prix
A number of so-called teal independents are in talks to form a new political party as polling shows a surge in support for Pauline Hanson's One Nation.
Independent MP Zali Steggall has told ABC Radio that a group of independents are considering ways to become more effective in parliament and offer voters an alternative to the major parties.
Both Helen Haines and Monique Ryan have ruled out joining any potential party, confirming their commitment to remaining independent.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge says he's unsure how independent voters will feel about the move.
"Well, you know, how can a bunch of independents become a party? Doesn't matter for them to explain how that's going to work, not for me. Actually, running a party is complicated. You need to achieve consensus. You need a very clear set of principles. The Greens have four key principles that drive us as a party, and I've got to tell you, it's a long hard project keeping a party together on a national level, and if people want to start their own party, it's a matter for them."
.
Seven of the 11 Australians detained by Israel after trying to deliver aid to Gaza via a flotilla, have arrived in Sydney to emotional scenes.
Australian activist Neve O'Connor says they were treated appallingly, including being beaten, tasered, denied food and water, and held on prison ships with few toilets and nowhere to sleep.
"From the moment we arrived from the prison ship they were abusing us. They shot a woman for just walking across the prison yard. There was very little water; we were left absolutely exposed to the elements so in the day it was boiling hot with no protection for the sun or very little shade, and then at night we had no mattresses. They flooded the floors and they just basically left us to freeze."
Federal minister Mark Butler has called their treatment "disgraceful" and said the government had raised its concerns with Israel in the strongest possible terms.
Israel's prison service has denied all allegations of abuse.
Flotilla members say they are now working with lawyers to compile evidence for the International Criminal Court to support abuse claims on behalf of Palestinians.
.
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is hearing evidence today about the security and threat environment in the lead-up to the Bondi attack last December.
The Commission has already heard first-person accounts of rising antisemitism within the community.
Counsel Assisting Richard Lancaster says this second block of hearings will hear from witnesses from Australia's security and intelligence agencies - including the Australian Federal Police.
"The evidence in this hearing block will include calling witnesses about the conduct of intelligence and law enforcement agencies in the lead-up to the Bondi attack, in light of the terrorism threat level and security environment. The evidence will build on the evidence and analysis in the interim report."
The commission has already recommended tighter security at Jewish community gatherings, nationally consistent firearm laws, and a gun buyback scheme.
.
New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns, says the hearings this week are an opportunity to understand and learn from previous mistakes.
Mr Minns says evidence should be used to find out what went wrong and to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.
"I know that there is a joint counter terrorism command, I know that that is incredibly important in confronting violence and terrorism in our community. I know that it has been successful in the past in cracking high-level dangerous gangs and groups that were going to do harm in our community. So there has been a level of success in the past. Can it be better? I mean, that's what we want to find out from the Royal Commission. "
.
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is deepening, with two of three treatment centres burned down by local residents and burials now requiring armed escorts.
Ebola victims' bodies are highly infectious and must be handled by professionals, denying families traditional funeral rites including bringing the body home before burial.
The World Health Organization says the outbreak now poses a very high risk for Congo but says the risk of the disease spreading globally remains low.
The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to 204, with 867 suspected cases.
.
Around 1.6 million Muslims have gathered in Mecca for Hajj, the annual pilgrimage that is being overshadowed this year by regional tensions following the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
Authorities have increased security and put in place crowd-control measures, while permit regulations have also been enforced to prevent unauthorised pilgrims from entering Mecca.
Pilgrims are also battling 48-degree heat, a deadly concern after more than 1,300 people died during the 2024 Hajj.
The country’s health minister said at the time that most of those who died were unauthorised pilgrims who had walked long distances in the sun.
.
To sport now and in Formula One, Kimi Antonelli has won the Canada Grand Prix - his fourth in a row.
A power unit failure forced Mercedes teammate and title rival George Russell out of the race, while Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton took second place.
Red Bull rider Max Verstappen came in third.
It marks the four-time world champion's first return to the podium this season, after he expressed his unhappiness with sweeping new rules for racing.
